Resolve & repair
If people have talked about the conflict and done what they should, you've likely sorted things out. Resolution doesn’t have to mean perfection. It just means that everyone agrees on how to keep working together peacefully and productively.
Reflection questions
Ask yourself:
- Am I ready to move on? Can I let this go?
- Have I repaired what was mine to repair (e.g., apologized, made changes, accepted an apology, etc.)?
- Are we able to proceed professionally and productively in the workplace?
- Can I move forward in a good way with the agreement results?
Yes to most questions: you can likely consider the conflict resolved.
No to some questions: it may be time to seek additional support. Visit the Escalate step to consider your options.
Repairing relationships
Conflicts can change things. Regardless of a resolved conflict, things may not go back to the way they were. The conflict may have exposed a necessary change or have wider impacts for the broader team.
Even if a conflict is resolved, those directly involved may still have work to do.
Use our Investing in Relationships resource to consider how you can ensure your relationships remain strong.
Healthy teams
Conflicts, no matter how small, can impact the broader team.
Leaders should check in with the broader team when dealing with conflicts to assess impact and help everyone get better at handling them in the future. Use the team health assessment to determine what discussions whould be the most valuable.